Faultless photography and retouching.
Convincing Model and handled with a light touch, could have really gone into a gore fest.
Reguardless as to whether you agree or disagree, it works as an advert, it makes you look closer at it...and as such remember a little more or discuss it. Job done.

The reality is that people are getting put into prison and being released. If we're going to release them why wouldn't we want to make sure they re-emerge as productive members of society? Oh, wait...sorry...that made too much sense. It MUST be wrong because its not based on emotions! Kill everyone who has ever gotten caught doing anything illegal! That's what I meant to say.

Oh, and BTW, i'm too blinded by my own stupidity to notice that this is a spectacularly executed ad.

now, you might say "Well he still looks like a murderer, and that's the point." But I would say that since you think you can say what a murderer looks like (based on your "seasoned opinion", no doubt) but you're wrong (since he isn't a murderer) that you're the one with the skewed perspective that needs fixing, and not the creators of this ad.